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The monthly church attendance of Black Protestants declined 15% from 2019 to 2023, a larger drop than any other major religious group.

The biggest change came among those who said they quit their religious upbringing because of its treatment or teachings of LGBTQ people.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy explores the various meanings behind Trump’s recent endorsement of Lee Greenwood’s ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

The same area of the country that tends to be the most politically conservative and Republican-leaning was where most United Methodist churches voted to leave the denomination.

The Executive Committee, which oversees the SBC's operations between meetings of the convention's governing body, has been without a permanent leader since 2021.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention, the denominational home of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., publicly endorsed calls for a ceasefire in Israel-Gaza on Monday.

Nation

U.S. religious institutions enjoy tax exemptions, most notably from property taxes. Debate has raged for decades over whether the exemptions are fair.

A strong majority of Americans, and majorities of many religious groups, still broadly support LGBTQ rights.

Catholics, including El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, have rallied around the volunteer-run network of migrant shelters, describing Ken Paxton’s legal actions as violating religious freedom.

World

The only Baptist church in the Gaza Strip — and one of just four Christian congregations in the besieged territory — received significant damage from an Israeli attack on Tuesday.

The change, enacted in legislation signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, reflects both Ukrainians' dismay with the 22-month-old Russian invasion and their assertion of a national identity.

Vatican officials said about 70,000 people filled St. Peter's Square for Francis' noonday speech and blessing. They included many people flying Palestinian flags, as well as some Ukrainian ones.

Editorials

Brian Kaylor reacts with satirical humor and sharp criticism to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filing lawsuits against dozens of public school districts after school officials enacted mask rules to keep children and teachers healthy amid the omicron surge.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on comments made about school prayer as the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a significant church-state case. Some conservative Christian groups are wrongly calling public prayer just a “private” act.

As a Jewish legal advocate and a Baptist minister, we support the arguments of Boston in this critical First Amendment case that Supreme Court justices will hear on Jan. 18. Read the Boston Globe op-ed by Rachel Laser (president/CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State) and Brian

Word&Way Voices

Kicking off this week's theme — Advent in a time of political anxieties — Rev. Dr. Kristel Clayville contemplates how changes in our political leadership trickle down to our everyday decisions.

Despite the horrors of ancient and current tyrannies, genocidal regimes, profit-driven greed, religious charlatans, social bigots, and political hypocrites, the heart of Advent is that God will not give up on humanity and the world.

Rev. Lauren Bennett reflects on her experience with a state execution this year and how faith requires us to bring softness to hard places while opening ourselves to meet Jesus in unlikely faces.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness considers a recent case for “our Christian nation” made by Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri to unpack where he’s wrong and why it matters.

This issue of A Public Witness will take you inside both the report and the event to see how some members of the House of Representatives are paying attention to Christian Nationalism (and reading A Public Witness).

Walter Brueggemann has written scores of books. If one wants to understand the insights of this biblical scholar, where does one begin? Beau Underwood suggests the best way to dive into Brueggemann is not through a book he wrote but with a book written about him.

Sign up to receive full essays in your inbox!

Podcasts

Christopher Beem, an associate research professor and the managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Pennsylvania State University, talks about his book The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy.

Paul Raushenbush, the new president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, talks about the organization. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, religious liberty, and his family's heritage.

Liz Bucar, professor of religion at Northeastern University, talks with about her new book Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation. She also discusses trying yoga, walking the Camino de Santiago, and leading the Sacred Writes program.

Doug Pagitt, executive director of Vote Common Good, talks about confronting Christian Nationalism. He also discusses attending the ReAwaken America Tour and protesting during the NRA's prayer breakfast.

Books

In "God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible," Esther J. Hamori offers an entertaining deep dive into the creaturely strangeness of scripture.

In his timely new book, noted scholar David Gushee brings his incisive ethical lens to defending democratic commitments and articulating the need for Christians to recommit themselves to its practices.

In "Every Step Is Home: A Spiritual Geography from Appalachia to Alaska," globetrotting travel writer Lori Erickson explores spiritual sites and experiences closer to home.

In "bell hooks' Spiritual Vision: Buddhist, Christian, and Feminist," Nadra Nittle offers readers a window into religion's role throughout the prominent social critic's writings.